


Here Lies Team Awesome

by Lady_Lala



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24547543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lala/pseuds/Lady_Lala
Summary: Here lies Team Awesome.We will always remember the sacrifice of two young men who bravely faced their fathers to protect Corona and all they held dear.Eugene, age 26, was and will remain, a hero within our hearts, never to forget what he meant to all of us, especially to crown princess Rapunzel.Varian, age 15, will forever stand as a symbol of hope to all those who seek redemption, reminding us that no matter how far we may have strayed, all is not lost.They were brothers, though not related. They died together, though far apart.Alternate reality #300
Relationships: Edmund & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian
Comments: 18
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "This is the story of how I died, again. Except, this time, I don't come back..."

"And... there!" Varian announced as he tightened the last bolt, "Okay, just pull that lever, and we've got ourselves a transdimensional portal."

"Oh, you weren't kidding, that was fast!" Eugene said, impressed.

"Okay, we've just gotta make sure everyone is clear of the portal, or else, you know, they'll end up in limbo, right along with Zhan Tiri."

Eugene nodded, rubbing his chin, "Although I've got to admit, this all feels a little too..."

Suddenly, there was a cry from behind them, and they turned to see Quiren grasping the lever, his eyes an electric blue.

"For Cassandra!"

But before he could pull the lever entirely, he gasped then collapsed to the floor, his helmet sparking unnaturally.

"Dad! Dad, don't worry!" Varian cried, running to his father's side, "You'll be okay, I promise."

"What happened?" Eugene asked, kneeling beside Varian, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I thought about what you said, so..." he held his breath and looked away, "I took... precautions. I rigged his helmet with a temporary stun mechanism."

"Score one for Team Awesome!" Eugene laughed, punching Varian's shoulder.

"Heh, yeah." Varian said quietly, "Team Awesome."

"Let's say we get him someplace more comfortable, eh?" said Eugene, understanding.

Ulf and Atilla gently moved Quiren to the side of the room and leaned him against the wall, then Varian went to double-check the lever. He hated having to incapacitate his own father. Causing Quiren even a little pain was excruciating for Varian after all he'd put his father through. Still, he couldn't think of any alternative. He couldn't risk Quiren unknowingly hurting his friends and home, and Varian knew his father wouldn't risk it either. Varian supposed he wasn't only protecting Corona from the brotherhood but also protecting his dad from himself. Protecting him from doing something he'd regret for the rest of his life, something Varian wished his father could've done for him.

"You doing okay, kid?" Eugene asked, walking up beside him.

"Of course." Varian lied, "Team Awesome, remember? But we need to figure out some way to break Cassandra's hold on the brotherhood, and soon. That stun is only temporary."

Eugene nodded, "Dad, I think it's time we put your friends in time out."

"You are absolutely right, son," Edmund said. "Stay here, Hamuel, keep an eye on things with the others."

_"Caw!"_

Eugene and Edmund ran from the room, and Varian jogged after, stopping just inside the door. 

_"Caw!_ "

Staring after them, Varian thought he heard an electric buzzing coming from behind him and frowned. Turning around, he saw Hamuel was perched on the lever, and Varian watched in dread as it slowly lowered. 

"Oh, that's not good," he said as the portal opened.

Feldspar, who was closest to the machine, was first to go, "What's going on? Aah!" and was sucked in, the others following close behind. Varian felt the portal tugging at him, but he grasped the doorway and held on tight.


	2. Chapter 2

The castle shook, and Eugene knew something was up. 

"Leave them alone for two seconds." he groaned, turning around, "Dad, I'm going back."

Eugene and Edmund arrived just as the last of the villagers were being sucked in, "Hey does everyone-"

"I got it," Shorty called as he flew past. Grabbing onto the lever on his way into the portal, he held on for a moment, "Look at me! I'm a flag!" then was pulled into the portal, the lever finally giving way, "Aah!"

The portal shut down, sparked a little, then was silent.

Eugene stared silently, the room entirely still.

"Okay," he said blinking.

"Well, ain't that a humdinger?" Edmund commented.

"Come on, dad, if we don't get our friends back and get this thing running, Rapunzel's plan will fall apart."

"You're right." said a husky voice, and Quiren emerged from the shadows, "You'd better get your friends out, but how will you do that without your mechanic?" 

A cold hand gripped Eugene's heart as Quiren wrapped a gauntleted hand around his own son's throat.

"Don't listen to him!" Varian choked, "I mean, he's right about the whole needing me to get our friends out of limbo. It's not as easy as pulling a lever, oh, no. You've got to adjust the-" Qurins grip tightened, and Varian clutched at his throat, "But everything else is a lie!" he wheezed.

"Quirin, stop," Edmund commanded. Eugene sighed in relife as Quirin loosened his grip, and Varian gasped for breath.

"How did you even..." Edmund began, then stopped as he spotted the rigged helmet on the ground beside Quirin. A boot came down and crushed the helmet like a tin can, but it wasn't Quirin's boot.

"Hello, Your Majesty." Hector sneered, kicking away the useless helmet, his binturongs bounding into view. Quirin hit Varian across the head, and Varian's eyes rolled back then he collapsed to the floor.

"Varian!" Eugene tried to run to the fallen boy, but Hector blocked his path, arching his sword in a vicious downward stroke. Eugene blocked it with his own but quickly lost ground to the powerful and lighting fast slashes.

"Oh, these guys are tough," Eugene called, barely avoiding the swinging blade.

"Well, they were trained by the best." Edmund grunted, wrestling with Quirin, "Probably should not be proud of that fact at this moment."

Quirin took advantage of the distracted king and ran his shoulder into Edmund's side, sending him crashing to the ground. Hector did the same, and before Eugene knew it, he was on his back right beside his father. 

"All right, look." Eugene grunted, pushing himself up, "The only way I see us getting Varian out of here and fixing that machine is to get the brotherhood back on our side."

"Yes, but we'd have to know where Cassandra has hidden the mind trap," Edmund said, getting up.

"I have an idea where she'd keep it."

"Then let's get moving."

"We can't just leave Varian," Eugene said firmly.

"Horace, if we leave, they will follow us. The boy will have to be all right."

"No," Eugene said stubbornly.

"No? Son, this is our only chance, and his."

"No, you're right." Eugene said, shaking his head, "But for crying out loud, don't call me Horace!"

"Come on. Cassandra's tower is just up this way." Eugene called to Edmund as they galloped through the wood.

"Oh, boy."

"What? What is it?" Then Eugene heard it, and felt it too, the entire forest seemed to shake. Maximus and Edmund's stead leaped over a bullder only to have it burst apart as Hector came hot on their tale riding his great rhino. 

"Fantastic." 

"Why did I ever let him get rhino?" Edmund groaned.

"Oh, your old pals are persistent, that's for sure." Eugene called back, "Max, let's shake them." 

Max snorted his agreement and veered to the left. The rhino followed close behind, crushing and taring anything in its way.

"You said the tower was that way," Edmund said, confused.

"Yeah, well, we're taking the scenic route. Rhinos can burst through just about anything, but I'm willing to bet there's one thing they can't do."

"What's that?"

"Jump."

They leaped from the ledge of the canyon that ran across the middle of the forest, that had for so long lost Eugene many races to Rapunzel and, though he'd never admit it, Cassandra. He felt a welcome rush of adrenaline as they made the jump and whooped in victory as they lost the rhino behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ohh..." Varian's vision swam as he pushed himself up and gently rubbed his head, "Ow." 

Suddenly, the events came rushing back, and his head pounded even harder. Quirin had hit him, Varian's father had been about to strangle him, and then had finally struck him across the head, leaving him for dead. 

"No.," he told himself, shakily getting to his feet, "No, that wasn't Dad. that was the brotherhood, he's still in there." 

"Are you sure, son?" 

Quirin walked out of the shadows, the crushed helmet in his hand.

"Dad! The helmet, I can explain, I had to..."

"You had to? Just like you had to tamper with the black rocks? Or erase Corona's memories, so you could run away from what you've done, like a coward?"

"I know, dad, trust me, I know. But..."

"Or use the very amber I was encased in for months, against Cassandra, bearer of the moonstone, my one loyalty."

"No! No, dad, I... Wait, what?" Varian frowned as all of what Quirin said sunk in. "Your one loyalty? I thought you were loyal to the king? To Carona?!"

"I was, but I am bound to the moonstone. A participant in an ancient oath."

"But that oath was to protect the world from the moonstone's power, not to help those who abuse it!"

"How can you accuse someone of abusing sacred powers, when you once tried to abuse the sundrops power?" Quired accused.

"I was wrong, and I know that now. I've made up dad, but I can't let Cassandra make the same mistake. And I can't let you live with the guilt of having helped her destroy our home."

"Your home, you mean. How could Corona ever truly be my home when I have a coward and a fool for a son? I was respected for my hard work and loyalty in the Dark Kingdom. But now, no matter how hard I work, no matter how loyal I Am, any respect I earn is lost as the village idiot, my son, destroys the town. Then the moment I dare hope my son has redeemed himself when I finally have something to be proud of, he betrays his own father." 

"Dad, I... I didn't have a choice!" Varian was on his knees now, tears streaming down his face.

"Get up," Quirin growled, but Varian couldn't breathe, couldn't think. It was as though his father were strangling him with words, with shame. "I'm so sorry, dad." 


	4. Chapter 4

"Huh, and you said my old place was creepy," Edmund said, looking up at the dark stone tower.

"No. I said your old place was disturbing." Eugene corrected, "I said the bear hood you used to wear was creepy."

"Dabney? You think Dabney is creepy?" Edmond asked, offended, "Well, fine. I thought your, uh, kneepads were, uh, not fashionable."

"That's a good comeback, dad." Eugene sighed, climbing up the stairs to the tower.

Finally arriving at the throne room, Eugene made his way to the mind trap that floated just above a stone pedal stool. He reached out, but suddenly a hand shot out of the shadows and grasped the stone.

"Huh?"

"I'll take that," Adira said, swiftly kicking Eugene in the stomach.

"Adira?" Eugene panted, then he heard growling come from his left, and Hector appeared, climbing up the stairs, his binturongs leading.

"Uh, dad." Eugene said, backing away, "Wanna tell your friends to back off?" he bumped into Edmund, but the large man didn't move, "Dad?"

"I don't think that's going to happen." 

Edmund's eyes were electric blue, just like the brotherhood's. Eugene stumbled back, falling to the ground. Adira and Hector closed in, the binturongs growling.

"Wait. wait, wait, wait." Eugene said, holing a hand up, "You were a member of the brotherhood all along?"

Edmund bit off his glove to reveal the brotherhood's mark, glowing blue like his eyes. 

"We all took an oath of allegiance to the moonstone, son."

Adira threw the mind trap to Edmund. 

He caught it, "Now that I have managed to keep this out of your hands," he tucked the stone into his robe, "that allegiance will remain with Cassandra." 

"Father, I don't want to fight you, and I know, deep down, you don't want to fight me."

Edmund just stared back, and Addira chuckled, "You don't stand a chance."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not one to walk away from a fight when my friends are in danger, no matter what the odds!" 

Eugene got up and drew his sword, "It's just something I picked up from Rapunzel." 

Adira and Hector looked at each other, then Adira shook her head. There was a blur of grey, and everything went dark.


	5. Chapter 5

Quiren kicked Varian away, "Get up. Get up, you shameful coward!"

Varian backed away, horrified of the man before him, "Dad, please!"

"You're not my son." 

"No," Varian sobbed, "No, don't say that, please! I know you're in there. This isn't you."

Quirin stepped closer, his face a mask, "How would you-" 

Something crunched beneath his boot, and blue sparks raced across Quirin's body. Lifting his foot, he saw the crushed remnants of a marble, and a moment later, his whole body convulsed in agony. Quirin fell to his knees, "Traitor!" he roared, then collapsed, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Varian clutched the small bag of marbles in his hand, the electrically charged balls buzzing slightly.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, getting shakily to his feet, "But I love you too much, dad, to watch you make mistakes you don't even realize you're making. To watch you help destroy the home I know you love. You may not have been able to stop me when I lost my way, but I will always be there for you when you lose yours."


	6. Chapter 6

"Any possibility we call this a draw?" Eugene panted. He couldn't hold out much longer. Though he'd only been fighting a few minutes, it felt like hours. His eyes were swollen almost shut from Addira's merciless blows. Adira stared down at him.

"No? Okay, well, don't say I didn't give you a chan-Aah!"

Adira punched him, and he tumbled into Edmond, who tossed him to the ground, and Adira threw his sword out the side of the tower.

"Right. Well, now you owe me a new sword. Hhn." he groaned as he was yet again, pushed to the ground, and lay there moaning.

"Well, Horace," his father smirked down at him, "looks like the line of dark kings ends here."

"Dad... I beg you." Eugene gasped, his eyes swollen shut "If there's an ounce of compassion left in your heart," he forced his eyes open and gazed up at his father, "please, stop calling me Horace."

A whiny echoed through the room, and Eugene looked past the brotherhood in surprise, "Max."

The brotherhood turned to face a very angry Maximus and raised their weapons. Something they would sorely regret. Maximus galloped forward, then spun and kicked Addira in her chest, sending her flying across the room, slamming into the far wall. Her sword fell from her grasp, and Max caught it in his jaws, daring Hector to come forward, and he did. A terrible decision, really. Hector barely had time to give a counter-attack when Max stamped on his foot and sent him jumping away. Edmund came charging and was sent sprawling by a few powerful strokes from Max. A binturong came up from behind, only to get a snout full of hooves, and Eugene pushed himself up to watch.

"Oh, you ticked off the wrong horse!" he called as Hector was thrown into a wall yet again.

The two binturongs attached, but Max bashed their heads together with eas, and they scrambled away whimpering. Hector threw them a bag, and they scurried up the walls, but Max didn't have time to worry about them. He was surrounded, a member of the brotherhood on every side. After a moment, he finally found an opening and was about to take advantage of it when a net came down on top of him.

The binturongs brought the net down, and the brotherhood was quickly upon Max, and he fell under the net. 

"Nice try." Edmund said, standing above the defeated Maximus, "But even with your horse," Eugene quietly slipped the mind trap from Edmund's robes, "you will never defeat all of us."

"You know what? You're right." Eugene said, getting up, "But, dad, the good news is we don't have to beat all of you. Just the guy with the mind trap." Eugene held up the stone for his father to see. But before he could throw it, Edmund shoved him away across the lege hanging out the side of the tower, the mind trap skidding farther along the lege. 

"Okay. Okay, Eugene, that was not your best idea," he said, dragging himself across the lege in pursuit of the mind trap.

But he was too late. Edmund briskly walked past him, and Eugene groaned in defeat as the father stood before him, the mind trap between them.

Edmond glared down at him and raised his battle-ax.

"No, dad. Dad, wait." Eugene pleaded, "When I first found you, I resented you for leaving me. But-but now, I realized you were just trying to protect me. I understand the sacrifice you were forced to take. And I... I forgive you."

Edmond raised his ax once more, his face emotionless, and Eugene realized it was useless. In one last burst of strength, he reached for the mind trap and grasped it in his hand, bringing it above his head as though to block the inevitable.


	7. Chapter 7

"And... done. Whew!" Varian said, wiping his brow and turning around, "Just one lever pull away from-Aah!" he cried out in pain as something searing cold pierced his chest and slid in deep. 

He looked up in shock at his father, and Quirin pulled the blade from the boy, his face holding no regret.

"Dad?!"

The battle-ax came down, and the mind trap shattered.

Suddenly, Quirin's eyes cleared, and he looked down in horror at the sword in his hand, and the young boy clutching his chest in front of him.

"Varian, I..."

"Welcome back, Dad." 

Varian collapsed, and Quirin caught him in his arms, "Son!"

A flash and Edmund shook his head, clearing it, then his heart stopped as he beheld the broken form of his son, lying before him.

"Eugene!" he cried, kneeling beside him, "Eugene, what have I done?"

"Thank heavens..." Eugene coughed weakly.

"What? What is it, son?" Edmond asked, cradling Eugene's torn body.

Eugene grimaced, "You didn't call me Horace."


	8. "All will be forgiven in time, but none will ever be forgotten."

The mighty ax should've killed Eugene instantly, but the mind traps shockwave slowed the blow just enough to prevent the kean blade from splitting him in two. That is not to say, however, that he could've survived. Though the ax did not pierce his flesh, the shear force was enough to crush his battered and bruised body.

Edmond cradled his son in his arms, tears spilling down onto the pale face of his eir.

"I'm so sorry, son." Edmond sobbed as Eugene took another shuddering breath, "So sorry for everything."

Edmond could barely bring himself to look upon the broken man in his arms, nor could he bring himself to look away.

"What have I done?" sobs threatened to rock him, but he fought them back. Shaking would only worsen Eugene's pain.

"What kind of father am I? First abandoning you, then leading you into mortal danger and finally this. I should never have bound myself to that rock. Any fool could've seen what might happen. But I was desperate, I..." he bit back tears, but they were already flowing freely.

"Dad..."

A gentle hand made its way onto Edmond's own, "I forgave you, and still do," he whispered.

"after all I've done? How?"

"You're my dad," Eugene said softly. "But you have to promise... promise me you'll forgive... forgive..." he struggled to finish, but his strength seemed to leave him.

"Forgive who?"

"Yourself." he finally managed.

"Me? No, no, I could never, not after today. you may have forgiven me, son, but what I have done, can, and should, never be forgiven."

"You didn't do.. that wasn't you. The mind trap... you had no choice." Eugene gasped.

"But it was my choice. I should not have taken such a risk."

Eugene's hand tightened its grip on Edmond, "...Doesn't matter now... what's done is done. I forgive you.... you-you have to forgive yourself. Promise me."

"maybe, maybe if we make it out of this alive, maybe..."

"too late... for me... I can't die knowing you-you won't let go. "I... I can't go until you do." 

"I can't do it, son," Edmond said, shaking his head, "I can't just forget you..."

"No... no, don't forget..." Eugene managed, "just forgive."

Edmond looked down at his son, his spirit broken, his eyes desperate.

"Please..." 

Edmond knew then that there was nothing to be done. Eugene was dying. Keeping him here would only prolong his pain.

"I-I'll try, son."

"Promise..." Eugene's voice was barely a whisper.

Edmond nodded, "I promise."

Eugene said a silent thank you, then relaxed, and the light seemed to fade from his eyes. The next few moments were agonizing as Eugene struggled to leave while his body fought to stay. Edmond held him till the end, whispering words of comfort. 

Edmond never knew when Adira came to stand beside him, but as Eugene finally laid still, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"All will be forgiven in time, but none will ever be forgotten."


End file.
